I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for removing a fluid from or injecting a fluid into a container, and more particularly to a new method and apparatus for removing coolant from and installing coolant into an internal combustion engine.
II. Prior Art and Other Considerations
Over-heating is a major cause of vehicle breakdowns on highways. Engine cooling systems must operate efficiently to avoid costly repairs that result from excessive temperature. Cooling systems contaminated by rust, scale build-up and sludge cannot provide adequate heat transfer and cooling system efficiency; in addition, thermostats fail to open, hoses deteriorate, impellers bind or break-off and engine blocks can become distorted or cracked.
An effective cooling system is not only important for engine performance and life, but in many automobiles the transmission fluid is also cooled by circulation through the radiator. Further, the abrasive nature of the suspended corrosive materials increases the wear on water pump, hoses, thermostat, and heater core. And malfunction of cooling system components is a frequent cause of highway breakdowns.
To prevent the accumulation of deposits it is known to drain and flush the water circulation system from time to time. Flushing generally takes place by opening the system at a low point to allow drainage of water through the engine block or heater, and the pressure of the flushing water is low. Flushing agents which tend to remove deposits from the walls of the passages making up the system are sometimes used to enhance the effectiveness of flushing.
A further complication is the presence of the customary thermostat in one of the conduits connecting the engine to the radiator. At the temperature of water for flushing supplied from the mains, the thermostat will normally be closed and will impede effective flushing. Removal of the thermostat may assist flushing, but substantially increases the laboriousness of the flushing operation.
Accordingly, there for, the vehicle maker's recommendation that the old coolant be flushed out and replaced with fresh coolant every two years, should be followed. However, most (about 78%) of the antifreeze sold every year is sold to do-it-yourselfers. And, only 30% of these buyers change their antifreeze regularly, instead of just adding more when needed. Moreover, it is likely that many within this 30% who change their antifreeze are, in fact, only removing the old coolant and corrosion materials from the radiator, and not from the whole system.
There is a need for efficient engine cooling system flushing methods and apparatus; however, flushing of such systems in the past required draining of the removed liquid to sewer or waste lines, which was environmentally objectionable.
Thus need has developed for apparatus and method to clean engine coolant systems without such drainage. No way was known for accomplishing this objective in the usually advantageous manner as is now provided by this Invention.
There are presently three general approaches an individual vehicle owner may follow to drain and flush old coolant and corrosion from the entire cooling system--not just the radiator. All have their drawbacks.
Consider first the continuous flushing technique utilized by some professional equipment and some kits sold for do-it-yourself use. With this technique, a sealed connection must be made by installing a garden hose-coupled inlet tee ("T") in the cooling system. This is accomplished by cutting into a heater hose and installing the inlet "T" between the severed hose ends. With the radiator drain cock open, the radiator cap off, and the engine running to keep the thermostat open, water is continuously admitted through the inlet "T" and circulated by the water pump, displacing old coolant which discharges through the radiator drain and the radiator cap neck. After a sufficient period of time, drainage clarity indicates that old coolant and corrosion have been displaced by clean water.
For someone who is not an automotive service technician, utilizing this continuous flushing approach is complicated and generates a large volume of waste liquid.
A second method which may be used involves opening up the cooling system at multiple points. With this approach the thermostat, heater hose and the lower engine-to-radiator hose are removed, and the drain cocks on the engine and the radiator are opened. It is then possible to flush water through the various parts of the system without the need to install a permanent inlet "T" or run the engine to keep the thermostat open. However, there are also problems of complexity and waste liquid.
The third method of draining and flushing the entire cooling system involves repeatedly draining the radiator, refilling it with water, and running the engine at normal operating temperature. This causes the thermostat to open and permits the coolant previously trapped in the engine, heater and hoses to mix with the clean water added to the radiator. Because in a typical cooling system the water pump has the capacity to turn over many times the total system capacity every minute, and the thermostat, when open, will likewise permit many times the system capacity to circulate to the radiator each minute, the fresh water is quickly and thoroughly mixed with the remaining used coolant.
By repeating the sequence of steps, the amount of old coolant and corrosion remaining in the system can be reduced by approximately one-half each time the radiator is emptied. Thus, the first time the radiator is emptied, approximately one-half of the used coolant in the system is removed. After running the engine to mix the remaining used coolant with the fresh water, draining of the radiator reduces the remaining used coolant to one-quarter of that initially contained in the cooling system. The third repetition reduces it to one-eighth; the fourth to one-sixteenth, etc.
In this way, the operator can flush a high percentage of the total old coolant and corrosion from the entire cooling system (not just the radiator) without the need to open drain cocks or hose connections on the engine. While mechanically simpler, however, this method requires a great deal of time.
Prior art devices are designed to remove fluids for disposal or to treat the fluids and then return the fluids back into the system at the time the equipment is attached. These inventions do not have the capability of removing, containing, storing and reinstalling the fluids at a later time without the necessity of special adaption or modification to the cooling system.
While there are clearly good reasons to flush out and recharge cooling systems in accordance with the vehicle maker's recommendations, many car owners do not do so because of the attendant difficulty of the task. Therefore, there are a great number of vehicles that are not serviced properly and regularly resulting in: (1) poorer performance and more frequent maintenance; (2) shortened engine life; and (3) more frequent operating failures. Such costs could be reduced by providing an efficient way of properly flushing the cooling systems and recharge it with fresh antifreeze.